Trump Has Plans for Cuba...and the Pentagon Is Making Sure They're Preparing for His Every Need

Matt Vespa | April 15, 2026 3:45 PM

President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have not hidden that Cuba is next. We removed Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is gone, along with most of his regime. Cuba is next. Even the older communists on this island nation post-Fidel are starting to rattle their sabers a bit, with its president claiming he’s not afraid of the United States. He has to say that, though I believe most people in Cuba, which feels like a time capsule, know they would be overwhelmed quickly.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Operation Ortsac—Castro spelled backward—was the planned invasion of the island if military force became necessary to remove Soviet missiles. It might not be back on officially, but USA Today reports that the Pentagon is allegedly ramping up:

Military planning for a possible Pentagon-led operation in Cuba is quietly ramping up, in case President Donald Trump gives an order to intervene there, USA TODAY has learned.
Two sources familiar with the order spoke to USA TODAY on condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to speak to media.
The directives appear to be an escalation of recent tensions between the U.S. and Cuba that began in January when the Trump administration curbed oil shipments to Cuba as part of a broader campaign to force sweeping political changes on the communist-run island.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Department of War and U.S. Southern Command for comment.
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The United States and Cuba acknowledged they are in the early stages of trying to find a way out of the crisis, but it's not clear how much each side is willing to compromise. In March, USA TODAY reported the two countries had been in discussions to sign a possible historic economic deal that would thaw relations.